Investigators who participate in a CCTS panel experience a success rate that beats the NIH payline by 3-fold. Why do participants see such a benefit and how can you also join the panel train of success?
Why Panels Work: The CCTS Approach
The concept of panel feedback is well known; few would argue that great project planning and grant writing require time spent in peer and expert review. The difference is made by the team placed around the table. The CCTS intentionally matches panel reviewers with projects/investigators according to expertise and background. Even better, there is added value in the reviewer who is not as well-versed in your subject’s arena. This is because study sections are not populated by people who know exactly what you do. You have to be very effective at capturing everyone’s imagination, not just the people who understand your science. CCTS panels also benefit from methodologic experts, including biostatisticians who ensure that your study design is sound according to the hypotheses being tested and that your analytic methodologies are appropriate to the data being collected.
The coterie of CCTS panel reviewers consists of hundreds of successful extramural grant awardees and other experts representing all stages of translation and health disciplines. Leveraging the experience and success of a community of scholars is a unique offering of the CCTS panel opportunity.
Who Should Request a Panel, and What Type of Panel Is Right for Your Project
CCTS Panels can be utilized at every stage of a research project. Are you interested in the CCTS Interdisciplinary Pilot Program? Get a head start and secure a panel to discuss and refine your project ideas now before the RFA is launched! Are you re-submitting your R01? A panel can help strengthen your response and improve your score. There are four panel types:
- Nascent Project Panels are for brainstorming early research ideas with other investigators.
- Panels Done Quickly provide feedback on a draft grant application toward an upcoming extramural deadline.
- Innovation Panels assist those with a scientific discovery who want to learn more about commercialization, patents, or SBIR/STTRs.
- The Translational Investigator Exchange Service is for those looking to identify collaborators who have complimentary expertise.
If you aren’t sure which panel option is best, you can always email